SUNY Albany

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the New York State Writers Institute, former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin will join Institute Executive Director William Kennedy and Director Donald Faulkner on stage to reminisce about the Institute’s past, celebrate its present, and discuss its future. A short video about the Institute highlighting memorable guests and events from its 25 year history will also be screened [you can see some early video samples here]. In addition the Institute will announce the first selections in its list of “25 Uniquely New York Books,” as chosen by 25 renowned New York state writers. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Page Hall, 135 Western Ave., on the University at Albany’s downtown campus.In 1984, Governor Mario Cuomo signed into law the legislation creating the Writers Institute, giving it a mandate to provide “a milieu for established and aspiring writers to work together… to increase the artistic imagination.” Since then the Institute has hosted over 1,000 visiting writer appearances, screened over 400 films, and presented dozens of writing workshops, symposia, and special events, making it one of the premier literary arts organizations in the country.

The video presentation will provide an overview of the history of the Institute, its founding, and growth over the past 25 years. Included will be clips of such memorable guests as Margaret Atwood, Shelby Foote, Joyce Carol Oates, David Sedaris, Hunter Thompson, and Kurt Vonnegut.

“As part of our 25th anniversary, we have invited 25 renowned New York writers to choose their favorite book about New York—state or city,” said Institute Director Donald Faulkner. “Books that focus on New York themes and landscapes have impacted readers for generations. We thought it would be appropriate to draw attention to some of these books to provide a glimpse of the enormous literary traditions that this state and its authors have to offer. This is not intended to be a ‘best of’ list, but a distinctive and slightly unconventional guide to reading more deeply into the spirit of the Empire State,” Faulkner explained. The first ten selections will be released on November 16, with the remaining 15 titles announced throughout the next several months.

Mario Cuomo, one of the great orators and intellectuals of 20th century American politics, served as the 52nd Governor of the State of New York from 1983 to 1994. He has also published several notable books, including political diaries, collections of speeches, and two books on Abraham Lincoln— most recently, “Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever” (2004). In advance praise, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. called the book, “A thoughtful and challenging meditation on what Lincoln’s wisdom tells us we Americans should be doing today and tomorrow.”

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, author of bestsellers about Lyndon Johnson, the Roosevelts, and the Kennedys. Her newest book is “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” which, by many accounts, helped shape President Obama’s political philosophy. A former professor of government at Harvard University, and assistant to President Lyndon Johnson, Doris Kearns Goodwin appears frequently as a political commentator on network and public television. A long-time friend of the Institute, she has made three previous appearances as a Visiting Writer (in 1991, 1995 and 2005). She is currently researching her next book which is set partly in Albany— a new biography of Teddy Roosevelt.

Dr. David Oestreicher will present a lecture, The Lenape: Lower New York’s First Inhabitants on Sunday, November 8, 2:00-4:00 PM at the SUNY Albany Center for Arts and Humanities. For over twelve thousand years, the region that is now lower New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware was home to groups of Lenape (Delaware Indians) and their prehistoric predecessors. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, however, after a tragic series of removals had taken them halfway across the continent, the broken remnants of these tribes finally came to settle in parts of Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Ontario. By the late 20th century, only a handful of elders could still speak their native language, or had knowledge of the traditional ways.In this lecture, David M. Oestreicher combines archaeological and historical evidence with decades of firsthand ethnographic and linguistic research among the last Lenape traditionalists. He gives a brief overview of the prehistory of the Mid-Atlantic region, describes how the Lenape and their neighbors subsisted at the time of European contact, why they ultimately left their homeland, and where they are living today.

Dr. Oestreicher touches upon the major historic events involving the Lenape, including the arrival of Henry Hudson — contrasting Hudson’s own words with Lenape oral traditions collected by Oestreicher and others over the centuries. He relates how the Lenape language, ceremonies, religious beliefs and life ways were impacted by removal from their traditional homeland.

The presentation includes a slide (or powerpoint) program featuring native artifacts, maps, illustrations and photographs of various life activities, and images of some of the most important tribal traditionalists — the last repositories of their culture. The talk concludes with an account of efforts today by the Lenape to reclaim their ancient heritage and revive long abandoned traditions. Those attending the presentation will have a unique opportunity to learn about our region’s original inhabitants — not the romanticized Lenape of popular mythology and recent new-age literature, but a special people as they really are.

Throughout the fall semester SUNY Albany will be marking the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain’s voyages of exploration with a series of events. The events are all free and located at four venues – UAlbany (a few locations), Albany Institute of History & Art, New York State Museum, and WAMC Performing Arts Center–The Linda. SEPTEMBER

Wed. Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m. at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center, Recital HallReception and Book Signing to FollowThe Hudson: A History

Tom Lewis, Professor of English, Skidmore College Lewis will speak on his 2005 book, The Hudson: A History, a grand retelling of the river’s past featuring well-known and little-known stories of explorers, traders, soldiers, artists, politicians, writers,Industrialists and environmental crusaders. Filmmaker Ken Burns said, “What Tom Lewis has so wonder-fully done here is willed to life one of the greatest rivers in our history, insisting that it offer up deep secrets and best stories.” In addition to authoring The Hudson and other books, Lewis has consulted on, written, and produced a number of documentary films for public television. Co-Sponsors: Archives Partnership Trust, New York State Writers Institute, and UAlbany offices of the President and Provost.

Ranging from cooks, collar-workers, and canawlers to farm wives, factory operatives, and female entrepreneurs, 19th-century working women were vital to the economy of the Hudson Valley and Empire State. Lewis will discuss numerous women who might once have been labeled “exceptional” because of their occupations, but can now be recognized as typical members of 19th-century communities. Lewis teaches courses in New York State history, American women’s history, and American social and cultural history. Her publications include Unexceptional Women: Female Proprietors in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Albany, New York, 1830-1885.

This battle fought 25 miles above Albany has been called the most important battle of the last 1,000 years. Persuaded by the victory at Saratoga that the Americans might prevail against Britain, France joined the American Revolution. The staggering cost to France in doing so contributed to a fiscal crisis that led to the French Revolution. Thus these first two great modern revolutions were connected by the Battle of Saratoga. Roberts will consider its historical importance, discuss key players, and reflect on some of its absurd, even comic aspects. Roberts’ forthcoming book is Early Albany Stories, 1775-1825. For more on UAlbany – Community Day visit: http://www.albany.edu/ualbanyday/

Almost two centuries before the apricot orchards of Santa Clara County turned into the fabled Silicon Valley, a network of self-conscious regional developers in the Upper Hudson made the Greater Troy area a similar mecca for technological entrepreneurs. This lecture will illustrate what they did and explain why it happened so similarly towhat occurred much later in California. Carroll is an American cultural historian who specializes in the history of science and technology. Beyond his role at the Gateway, Carroll is also Executive Director of RiverSpark, New York State’s first Heritage Area. Free admission to lecture; charge to tour galleries.

This presentation will focus on the pivotal role of the Hudson River as a transportation corridor from the days of Britain and France vying for power in Colonial America to the new nation’s expansion as a commercial powerhouse through the building of the interstate highway system after World War II. Hochfelder will discuss the Hudson during the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars, the Erie Canal era, and Albany’s days as a rail center. He will also cover the importance of the Northway.Hochfelder specializes in the history of American technology and public history.

Thurs. Oct. 22, 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. at the Albany Institute of History & ArtAlbany, the River and the WorldThe Honorable John J. McEneny, NYS Assemblymember ( 104th Assembly District)

From fur trading to nanotechnology, Albany is a player on the world stage. Its strategic location on the upper Hudson made it a safe place for a state capital and a major gateway for commerce. McEneny will tell the story of Albany, the river, and the world through the people and power brokers who define its place in history. A fifth generation Albanian, McEneny has had a distinguished career in public service including over 16 years in the Assembly. He is a well-known teacher, speaker, and author regarding local history-related fields. His book, Albany, Capital City on the Hudson, is in its 27th year.

Zahavi will survey the history of piracy on the river since Henry Hudson’s exploration led to the river’s growth as a major commercial conduit for Euro-American trade. Like all such corridors, the Hudson drew its share of plunderers. As local 17th-century Albany records noted, “pirates in great numbers infest the Hudson River at its mouthand waylay vessels on their way to Albany. . . .” Zahavi will offer glimpses into the many colorful and sometimes violent individuals who transformed the river into “dangerous waters,” even into the 20th century. Zahavi directs UAlbany’s Documentary Studies Program.

NOVEMBER

Sun. Nov. 1, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. at the New York State Museum’s Huxley TheaterPicturing History: The Artwork of Len TantilloLen Tantillo, Artist

The artist’s paintings capture the dynamic life and look of the Hudson River Valley from pre-Colonial days and Dutch settlement through the era of steamboat travel and commerce. Tantillo will discuss his interpretation of the past through research and the creative process as well as his exhibition of 60 works in Hoorn, Holland for the Hudson Quadricentennial. Tantillo has been a full-time artist for 25 years, creating numerous historical and marine paintings, many focusing on the Hudson River. In 2004 he was the subject of a national public television documentary, “Hudson River Journeys.” Tantillo was commissioned in 2005 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to paint “Dutch House, 1751 (Bethlehem, NY).”

Fri. Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m. at WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, The LindaOnce Upon The Hudson: A Quadricentennial ConcertThe Hudson River Ramblers and The Barefoot Boys

Come along on a journey of words and music to discover the majestic beauty and rich history of “America’s First River.” Guided by skilled storytellers and musicians, you’ll encounter Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton, sloop skippers, canawlers, and jamcrackers. You’ll hear Native legends, colonial tunes, folk songs, sea shanties, and stories of river imps and revolutionary war battles-spanning 400 years and 300 miles oflife. The Hudson River Ramblers are master storyteller Jonathan Kruk and folk singer Rich Bala. Performing together since 1990, they transform historic material into interactive, family-friendly shows throughout NYS. Pete Seeger called their CD, Revolution on the River “a great way to learn about those bloody times!” The Barefoot Boys–Rich Bala, Tom White, and Rick White–are a folk trio specializing in traditional songs of the Hudson/Catskill region. Taconic Weekend commented on the“timeless songs played with expertise, feeling, and a sense of humor.”

Sun. Nov. 8, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. at the New York State Museum’s Huxley TheaterThe Hudson River on Film: Commerce, Nature, and the American HorizonWilliam Husson, Lecturer, Dept. of Communication, UAlbany

The Hudson River is well known as both a commercial waterway and an environmental treasure. Perhaps less well recognized but no less important is the river as a symbol of American values, dreams and aspirations. Husson will focus on the way in which documentary and fiction films have explored these three features of the Hudson – thecommercial, the environmental, and the symbolic. Husson’s teaching and research interests relate to visual communication, mass media effects and communication theory.

Thurs. Nov. 12, 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. at the AIbany Institute of History & ArtAncient Peoples along the MohicanitukChristopher Lindner, Archaeologist in Residence, Bard College

This survey of twelve thousand years, long before Europeans arrived in the Hudson Valley, will concentrate on fishing practices as well as evidence of both hunting and the gathering of wild plants. Lindner will introduce a new outdoor exhibit on ancient use of the estuary, located on the Greenway Trail at Bard. He recently excavated large5,000-year-old campsites at the college and the Rhinebeck town park. As Director of Bard’s Archaeology Field School, he has conducted several summer digs researching the Guinea community, an early 19th-century settlement of African-American freed and fugitive slaves in Hyde Park.

Sun. Nov. 15, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. at the New York State Museum’s Huxley TheaterBeauty, the Boss, and the River: Planning Albany’s Riverfront, 1900-1920John Pipkin, Distinguished Service Professor, Dept. of Geography and Planning, UAlbany

The Delaware & Hudson Building is the most visible reminder of a political struggle over Albany’s riverfront in the early 20th century. Civic pride was affronted by the visual squalor of the river basin and Boss Barnes began a modest beautification program. Engaging a wide range of stakeholders, the project grew in scope and moved from a brief flirtation with City Beautiful ideology to a recognizably modern styleof urban policy and planning. Pipkin’s research interests include American urbanism, 19th-century landscapes, geographic thought, and planning history.

One of the defining voices of the Times Union for more than forty years, LeBrun has served the newspaper as suburban beat reporter, city editor, arts editor, restaurant critic and metro columnist. LeBrun will talk about his “Hudson River Chronicles,” recounting an 18-day adventure downriver from Mount Marcy to New York Harbor in 1998 – an event that is still commemorated by a richly documented website(www.timesunion.com/SPECIALREPORTS/hudsonriver/main.asp). Sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute.

DECEMBER

Tues. Dec. 1, 7:30 – 8:45 p.m. at the UAlbany Main Campus, University HallWalker Evans and the Cultural Landscape of the Hudson ValleyRay Sapirstein, Assistant Professor of History and Documentary Studies, UAlbany

The most influential art photographer of the 20th century, Evans has been identified primarily as a photographer of the U.S. South working for the Farm Security Administration during the Depression era. However, Evans made many of his earliest images as an artist in the Hudson Valley, developing a distinctive panoramic vision. Sapirstein teaches 19th- and 20th-century cultural history, visual studies, and documentary video production. He conducted the research for his talk as a fellow inthe Walker Evans Archive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Throughout the fall semester SUNY Albany will be marking the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain’s voyages of exploration with a three-part Hudson 400 program that includes an art exhibition, a “talks and concert” series, and a conference. The formal kick-off occurs tonight (September 15) from 5 to 7 p.m., at the University Art Museum. The museum will hosts the opening reception of “Uncharted” a new exhibit featuring works from ten artists inspired by themes of travel and discovery. To view the entire Hudson 400 program visit: http://www.albany.edu/outreach/hudson_400/hudson_400_events.html

Founded by history graduate students, Researching New York, an annual conference on New York State History, is one of the major endeavors of the History Graduate Student Organization and the History Department. This is a great opportunity for graduate students to present a paper on ANY aspect of New York State history. Even if your primary work does not focus on New York State history, often it is possible to work from a seminar paper or a small section of your work that has connections to a New York issue or theme. You can contact us at resrchny@albany.edu if you have any questions about the presenting your work at the conference. The program Committee will review the proposals in July and you will be notified whether yourpaper or panel is accepted shortly thereafter. You can see previous programs at the Conference Web site, http://nystatehistory.org/researchny.

The organizers of the 11th Annual Researching New York Conference invite proposals for panels, papers, workshops, roundtables, exhibits, documentary, and media or multimedia presentations on any facet of New York State history–in any time period and from any perspective. The conference will be held at the University at Albany on November 19th and 20th, 2009.

To mark the upcoming Hudson-Champlain Quadricentennial, for Researching New York 2009, we encourage submissions that speak to the conference theme, 400years of Exploration: the Hudson-Champlain Corridor and Beyond. We especially invite proposals that explore and interpret not only the exploits of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain, but the many kinds of exploration that have taken place in the ensuing 400 years of New York State’s rich and diverse history-including consideration of how we remember, celebrate, interpret, and commemorate historical events.

Researching New York brings together historians, researchers,archivists, museum curators, librarians, graduate students, teachers, Web and multimedia producers, and documentarians to share their work on New York State history. Presentations that highlight the vast resources available to researchers, as well as scholarship drawn from those resources, are encouraged.

Proposals are due by June 28, 2009. Full panel proposals, workshops, roundtables, exhibits, film screenings and media presentations are welcome. Partial panels and individual submissions will be considered. For panels and full proposals, please submit a one-page abstract of the complete session, a one-page abstract for each paper or presentation, and a one-page curriculum vita for each participant. Individual submissions should include a one-page abstract and one-page curriculum vita. Submissions must include name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Please submit electronically to resrchny@albany.edu. All proposals must note any anticipated audio visual needs.

Peter Bae’s Clio’s Room blog has announced that SUNY Albany’s Special Collections and Archives has put copies of the university’s newspaper from 1916 to 1985 online. Currently you only have the option to browse the papers via pdf, but they are working on a full text search.

The University at Albany’s Department of History has introduced a new 36-credit History and Media concentration to its Masters program, allowing students to learn and apply specialized media skills — digital history and hypermedia authoring, photography and photoanalysis, documentary filmmaking, oral/video history, and aural history and audio documentary production — to the study of the past. The History and Media concentration builds on the Department’s strengths in academic and public history and its reputation as an innovator in the realm of digital and multimedia history.Among the History and Media courses to be offered beginning in the fall of 2009 are: Introduction to Historical Documentary Media; Narrative in Historical Media; Readings and Practicum in Aural History and Audio Documentary Production; Readings and Practicum in Digital History and Hypermedia; Readings in the History and Theory of Documentary Filmmaking; Readings in Visual Media and Culture; Introduction to Oral and Video History; Research Seminar and Practicum in History and Media.